Brotherly Love: Watch Over Me
by Akiko Keeper of Sheep
Summary: Because everyone loves the image of Raph in a nurse's uniform. Okay, Don, bend over and cough!
1. I'm So Tired

Watch Over Me

:::

Chapter One: I'm So Tired

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by: Akiko, Keeper of Sheep

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He was in Hell.

Well, he couldn't be too sure - Hell was, after all, a mythological incarnation of humanity's collective belief that there is such a thing as Good and Evil, and that Evil must have its place. Still, if he could conceivably believe in Hell, he was certain it would feel like this.

Everything burned and froze at the same time. Everything ached, bone-deep, the sort of ache that seemed to stretch into eternity. Tremors wracked his body, so strong, so constant that it pressed the breath from his lungs. Any conscious movement on his part seemed to take Herculean effort. The world was blurred and dim, like he was looking at it through grimy glass.

He was helpless.

It wasn't a new feeling. Every time he practiced with his brothers, he felt more and more like the weak link. Each time, he'd reassured himself that even if he was an impediment on the battlefield, he had a use. He had a purpose. He wasn't superfluous, no matter what his brothers might have thought.

Someone was speaking, he was sure of it. It sounded muffled and far too soft, like he was listening from under water. He tried to answer, to reassure, to beg for an end to the misery, but he couldn't seem to move his mouth, and his tongue felt too big, too dry.

He was being moved now. Cold air was rushing over his clammy skin, and the shivering worsened. There were more voices, all blended together until the sounds became one monotonous hum. He stopped trying to decipher it, stopped trying to speak. He was tired, so tired.

A hand was resting on his forehead, warm and strong. Another hand rested on his shoulder, soft and furry. The murmuring grew quieter, and then stopped, and the edges of his vision began to go gray.

Struggling to focus, he could see a figure of green, a streak of red, and suddenly, clearly, two frightened brown eyes peering down at him as everything faded away.

'That's wrong,' Donnie thought as he drifted into blissful unconsciousness, 'Raph's not afraid of anything...'

:::

Cold!

Donnie jerked, the freezing water crushing the air from his lungs like a kick to the chest. It splashed over his body, up over his shoulders. He kicked weakly, batting at the arms holding him ineffectually.

"...get a good grip..." a voice murmured overhead.

"...try to...underneath..."

"Yeah...hold him for..."

It was like talking on a cell phone with bad coverage. They were speaking too quietly for his tired, fevered mind to catch all of the words, and if the chill hadn't been seeping into every atom of his body, he would have been frustrated beyond belief.

Arms were hoisting him up, different arms wrapping around his torso from behind. Then he was being lowered, slowly, into the bitterly cold water again. He whimpered, flinching away from the chill, and a soft voice whispered beside his ear.

"It's okay, Donnie. I've got you," the voice said.

Something in the voice made him want to cry. It was scared, and sad, and it should never be either of those. And it said it was okay, but it wasn't. He was weak. He was freezing. He hurt. That wasn't okay.

He felt betrayed. He trusted his family to take care of him, to never hurt him. Why were they doing this? Why were they forcing him through this torture? Why couldn't they have just let him slip away into that warm, dark place where he didn't ache to the bone?

Someone was stroking his side reassuringly. It sent little warm shivers through him that helped keep the cold at bay. It wasn't much, and it wasn't for long, but it was enough. Calmer, Donnie let his mind drift into the blackness once more.

:::

He was hovering somewhere. It was nothing, and yet it was something. Softness pressed in all around, and blessed warmth. He felt horrible, and he felt alone, but he knew he was safe here.

In an instant, he wasn't alone anymore. Something cool was being laid on his forehead. It wasn't the terrible freeze of the water he'd been submerged in. It was soothing, beating back the prickly heat of the fever.

More coolness was being spread over his face, his shoulders, his neck and chest. The sticky sweat of sickness was being cleaned away by gentle hands, and the comforting voice of before was speaking softly as its owner worked.

"You really scared me for a minute there, Don. The way you just went over like your strings were cut..." A deep sigh here, and the hands faltered for a moment before resuming their wonderful work. "We were all pretty freaked. Thought Mikey was gonna start cryin', but he did great. Leo...Leo was alright 'til we got you home. I dunno what's up with him, but..."

What had happened to him? Why was everyone so afraid? He knew he felt terrible, but he wasn't dying. In fact, he thought for a while there that dying would be preferable to this.

"Swear to God, Donnie, when you wake up, you're teachin' me everything. An' you are never, ever gonna hide anythin' like this from us again. I swear."

'Sorry, Raphie. I didn't mean to worry you.'

He wanted to say it out loud, wanted to let his brothers know that he was okay...well, not really okay, but he wasn't dying.

Was he?

This unsettling thought followed him into the familiar darkness.

:::

It hurt to breathe.

His lungs were a mass of pain, his throat was swollen and scratchy, and he felt like his tongue was twice its usual size. The skin around his mouth was chapped and stinging.

He needed water.

No sooner had he thought this than a damp cloth was placed against his mouth. He moaned weakly, then regretted it when he began to cough. He didn't have the energy to hold it in, and his throat screamed as the force of the action tore at it violently.

A powerful arm slid under his shoulders and levered him up. The angle helped to ease his cough, and the warm body pressed against his side calmed him. The cloth, which had been suddenly removed, was pressed to his mouth once more. A trickle of water was squeezed onto his tongue. He fought the urge to sigh, knowing what the consequence would be.

He knew from the feel of the arm around him that it was Raphael again. He wondered vaguely if his other brothers or his father only came in when he was asleep, or if Raph was the only one nursing him.

Maybe Raph was the only one willing to nurse him.

That thought made him sob once, harshly, and the wracking coughs that resulted nearly jerked him out of Raphael's arms. As he struggled to control the convulsions, he defiantly pushed the idea away.

His family loved him. They were worried about him. They wanted him around. They needed him.

They loved him.

They loved him.

Feeling a well of despair forming inside him, Donnie prayed the warm, welcoming blackness would come again soon.

::::::::::

A/N - Okay, so there are a few fics out there that beg the question: what the heck happens when Donnie's the one who's sick? Well, this is kind of my thought on the subject, because I'm apparently not the only one who never seems to think of Leatherhead or Dr. Honeycutt or any of the other characters perfectly capable of at least trying to help. Plus, you know you love the image of Raph in a nurse's uniform. Heheh...

Raph: Okay, Don, bend over and cough.

Don: O_o...

Anywhoz...on to chapter two!


	2. I'm Only Sleeping

Watch Over Me

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Chapter Two: I'm Only Sleeping

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by: Akiko, Keeper of Sheep

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"Donnie. Time to wake up."

He tried to open his eyes, finally managing to force his eyelids up a sliver. Still foggy, Raphael's concerned face hovered over him.

Donnie opened his mouth, trying to speak. All that came out was a raspy grunt and a long bout of hacking that felt like it was shredding his lungs. The familiar strong arm immediately hoisted his torso upward, allowing him to breathe easier. Tears of pain and frustration rolled down Donnie's face as he quaked.

"Easy, Don. I've got you."

When the latest coughing fit passed, a mug of cool water was pressed to his lips. Raphael let the blessed liquid trickle slowly and briefly before pulling the cup away. Licking his lips and wincing at the coppery taste of blood, Donnie did his best to focus his gaze on the wavering, fuzzy image of his brother.

"More," he wheezed, eyes pleading.

Nodding, Raphael brought the cup back. They sat in silence for a while as Donnie drank.

Finally, when the cup was empty, Raphael began to ease a few more pillows behind Donnie before resting his younger brother back against them. The slighter turtle wondered if Raph knew that elevating the torso eased the patient's breathing, or if he'd just noticed that sitting him up had helped stop the coughing.

He watched drowsily as Raph moved a bowl of water closer and picked up a washcloth. "Where're th'others," he managed to get out, voicing the question that had been plaguing him, wondering if his panic was seeping into his voice the way it seeped into his nerves.

Raphael glanced at him, pausing for a moment and tilting his head as though considering the question carefully.

"They're out," he replied brusquely after a beat. Then, as though sensing how little that reassured Donnie, he sighed. "They're on a forage," he elaborated.

Donnie nodded slightly, still feeling weak and shivery. Raph wet the cloth and wrung out the excess water before swiping it over Donnie's face slowly. The lukewarm water and the soft caresses eased his mind.

Light brown eyes were watching him, narrowed in concentration as though trying to detect the slightest change.

Donnie had never felt safer.

:::

Blue eyes were peering at him from a worried, freckled face.

Donnie tried to smile, feeling something tight ease in his chest. He tried to speak, but Mikey's eyes widened and he suddenly scrambled to grab the cup of water from the table beside the bed.

"Raph said you had to drink before trying to talk," he babbled, holding the cup in a shaking hand.

Donnie sipped the water gratefully before leaning back. "Hi, Mikey," he whispered, privately horrified at how tiny his voice sounded. His usually energetic brother looked even more drained and downcast.

"M'sorry, Donnie." Mikey gazed up at Donnie pleadingly. "I should have realized sooner that you were sick."

"Not sick," Donnie groused in a hoarse voice. This, at least, brought a small smile to Mikey's face.

"If you say so, dude." The smile faded, and Mikey fiddled with the empty water mug. "Still...we all feel bad. We should have payed better attention. I'm really sorry."

"S'okay, Mikey," Donnie managed, his eyes beginning to slip closed. This brief conversation had taken more out of him than he'd expected. "S'okay."

"No, it's not," Mikey insisted, putting the cup down and reaching over the rest his palm against Donnie's forehead. "You're our brother, and we're supposed to look out for each other. You always look after us, Don. You always know the second one of us feels sick. You work so hard to take care of us, and when you needed us to take care of you, we just..." Here he sighed explosively, pulling his hand away to rub the back of his neck. "We dropped the ball, bro, and we're all so sorry."

Donnie struggled to keep his eyes open, struggled to smile again. "S'okay, Mikey. Forgive you," he murmured as sleep claimed him once more.

:::

He wasn't surprised to see Leo at his bedside when he awoke again. He had known when he'd opened his eyes to see Mikey sitting there that Raph had told them about Donnie's asking after them. It was nice to know they really were worried about him, even if the had weird ways of showing it.

His eldest brother was watching him with the familiar look of a leader who blames himself for every little thing. Donnie mentally groaned.

His irritation faded when the corners of Leo's mouth curled into a soft smile. "Nice to see you back among the living," he murmured, not quiet smothering the tell-tale quiver of fear that hadn't yet been erased.

Donnie nodded, and managed a smile when Leo held out the water mug.

While he drank, Leo spoke.

"We all panicked when you collapsed. For a moment, I thought...but then you started...started twitching and-" Leo broke off, not able to look Donnie in the eye as he continued. "Raph nearly broke his neck running through the sewers to get you home. I've never seen him so scared in my entire life. And Mikey...he was a basket case. None of us knew what was wrong, what to do. We all thought you were going to die, all because we never bothered to ask what to do if you got sick."

Putting the cup back down, Leo leaned forward and hugged Donnie carefully.

"I promise you, Donnie," he muttered low in Don's ear, "that this will never happen again. When you're better, you're going to teach us everything."

Donnie nodded again, wishing he had the strength to hug his brother back. It took all of his energy to whisper the words he needed Leo to hear.

"I'll be okay."

Wrapped in his brother's embrace, he felt his eyes slide shut and everything faded away.

:::

If Splinter hadn't been sitting beside him this time, he would have been shocked.

His father looked to be meditating, but as Donnie stirred, his eyes slid open and he smiled.

"I am glad to see you returning to health, my son. We have missed your presence sorely."

Which meant something was broken, no doubt.

And now Father was frowning, his eyes searching for something in Donnie's expression. "You have been concerned about us, Donatello. Concerned about how your illness has affected us."

Risking a sigh, Donnie gestured weakly towards his water. Splinter let him drink before returning the cup to its place and staring at it like it held the answer to the meaning of life.

"Your brothers have been beside themselves, Donatello."

The suddenness of the words startled Donnie. He watched Splinter, wondering if he was expected to contribute much to the conversation.

"They have been frantic in their attempts to heal you. I found myself at a loss to soothe your pain as I had done when you were young. Nothing seemed to ease the sickness that tortured you so."

Donnie did not like the tone of helplessness in his sensei's voice one bit. It twisted something inside of him.

"Raphael, in particular, was determined to restore you to health. It was he who disabled the lock on your laboratory door and retrieved your medical notes and equipment. It was he who figured out how to fight your fever, what medicines to give you."

And here Splinter placed his hand over Donnie's and smiled.

"It was Raphael who insisted that he be the one to nurse you back to health. He has been very protective of you during this time, and has restricted our access to you so as not to overexcite you. He did not realize that you would be aware of our absence and that you would worry. Please do not think harshly of him, or of us."

Donnie was torn between being touched and being very, very annoyed. His father seemed to read both in his face, for his smile widened.

"Raphael feels quite badly about your misinterpretation. Allow him this mistake, Donatello. He did it out of love."

Nodding, Donnie fought the tide of exhaustion. He was sick of falling asleep every five minutes, but Morpheus did not heed his efforts. As he dozed off, he heard his father's voice follow him into dreamless sleep.

"You have been strong, my son. It is time for you to rest."

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A/N- Well, he's getting better! That's something! And, yes, this is before the turtles met April or Casey, so they won't be in this. Sorry? Also, if anyone wants me to write out what happened from someone else's point of view, let me know. As always, reviews are welcome.

Peace!


	3. Golden Slumbers

Watch Over Me

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Chapter Three: Golden Slumbers

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by: Akiko, Keeper of Sheep

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He had never noticed before how loud his brothers could be, even Leo. Strange how only the absence of something can really emphasize how pervasive that thing was in your life.

You never know what you've got and all that...

Bundled up in layer after layer of blankets, Donnie watched Mikey moving about the kitchen from the corner of his eye. Usually, his little brother's culinary quests were accompanied by music and dramatic exclamations, and occasionally a few shattering sounds. There was once, memorably enough, an explosion.

Leo was polishing his katanas in the corner, and Donnie knew by the prickly feeling on the back of his neck that he was also watching his usually-purple-clad brother closely. So long as he was in the same room as Donnie, he would refuse to take his eyes off of his brother. Donnie couldn't tell if it was comforting, creepy, or just plain annoying.

And then there was Raph. Any other day, Raph would be in the dojo lifting weights, or else wandering the sewers. However, since Donnie's collapse, Raph had refused to stray more than ten feet from his younger brother. Far more unsettling than the eldest turtle's unrelenting scrutiny was the careful way Raph was treating him. He spoke softly, considerately, and he held and moved Donnie with previously unexpected gentleness.

Donnie tilted his head a bit. Raph was sitting in the armchair to his right, splitting his attention between the movie that played quietly and Donnie's movements. While Raph didn't stare endlessly, he had an uncanny knack for noticing when Donnie was hurting, tired, thirsty, or just restless. He would swoop in without a word, alleviate whatever ailed his sickly brother, and depart again like some masked superhero.

It was weird.

Still, as Mikey handed Donnie his soup with a grin, the scientist had to admit that he kind of liked this new, curiously sweet side of his older brother.

:::

"You know," Donnie began, narrowing his eyes at Raphael, "there's a fine line between being accomodating and just being rediculous."

Raph raised a brow ridge as he pulled back the blanket of his cot. "There's no way in hell any of us are gonna leave you alone in your room when you're sick, Don. Get over it."

Donnie rolled his eyes and leaned back against his pillows (carefully arranged by Raph), tugging his blanket (cautiously drawn up over him by Raph) up to his chin. Raph flicked the light off, and for a while, there was only the sounds of rustling linens as the older turtle tried to situate himself.

"You're worrying over nothing," the younger brother muttered. He winced as the sounds of movement abruptly stopped.

"Excuse me? Don't you tell me I'm worryin' over nothin', Don. You didn't see what we saw. You didn't have to stand there, watchin' your little brother have a fuckin' seizure, not knowin' what to do or how to help or what the _fuck_ was goin' on. You didn't have to spend ten days half-assing your way through everything, wonderin' at every turn if what you were doin' was gonna help or just make things worse. You didn't have to spend every second watchin' him breathe to remind yourself he wasn't..." There was a muffled sound, like someone punching a pillow. "You just don't know, Don."

"The hell I don't," Donnie growled, pushing himself up to glare in Raph's general direction. "What do you think I do every time one of you gets sick? What about the time Mikey wiped out in the tunnels and knocked himself silly and I couldn't tell if he had a concussion or not? You think I liked forcing him to stay away, refusing to give him painkillers because they might knock him out and then he'd never wake up? Or how about when Leo got pneumonia and I had to sit with him all night, every night for three weeks to make sure he didn't choke to death in his sleep? Or when you...well..." Donnie frowned. "I can't really remember a time when you were really sick, but if I had to count the number of times I've set one of your bones and panicked every time because I might be doing more damage than good, I'd be stuck counting for the rest of my life."

There was a moment of silence and a gusty sigh. "Yeah, but Don, you know how to handle all of that. You know all of that stuff, and-"

"No, Raphael, I don't." Donnie glowered at the ceiling as he flopped back into the pillows. "I know what I picked up from books and tv, and the rest I just taught myself. It's never, ever been easy for me to do any of that. I can't stand the sight of blood, and I can stand the sight of my brothers in pain even less. I'm not a doctor, or a nurse, or even an EMT. I half-ass every medical procedure I do, and none of you have died yet. So stop worrying."

The silence stretched between them, heavy with fears unspoken and stubborn determination to make a point. Finally, Raph sighed.

"Yeah. Like you'd listen if one of us said that to you."

With a mirthless chuckle that felt more like a sob, Donnie smiled into his pillow and let it go.

:::

Three pairs of eyes glared at him from their place on the floor. Donnie shook his head.

"Give me a break, okay? It's not like I'm welding support beams or reconfiguring the security system."

Mikey tossed his hands skyward. "What's the point of us getting you better if you're just gonna overwork yourself?"

"Guys, it's a lightbulb," he intoned, waving the offending article at them, "not a nuclear reactor. Changing one lightbulb isn't going to kill me."

"You're still weak from the fever, Don. What if you get dizzy and fall off the ladder," Leo postulated, crossing his arms in his patented 'I'm the leader, and you'll do what I say or I'll be very stern with you' pose. It was usually followed by his 'If you don't comply in ten seconds, it will go very hard for you' pose and his 'stern schoolmaster' voice that reminded Donnie of the teacher from Boy Meets World.

Creepy.

In an act of pure defiance, Donnie unscrewed the old lightbulb and replaced it swiftly. "I'm a trained ninja, Leo. I may still be recovering, but even I could manage to catch myself if I fell off the second step of a stepladder." Donnie backed down the ladder and tapped Leo on the plastron with the burnt-out appliance. "If I did manage to injure myself after falling from that height, I would resign as a ninja."

Raph shook his head, bull-headed as ever. "I don't care if you were changin' that lightbulb lyin' down in bed in a padded room. You're still recoverin', and we unanimously voted you onto bed rest. I see you outta bed again without my permission," he threatened, towering over his ill brother, "I'm gonna strap you to it."

And it had to be the remnants of the fever that made a small part of his brain giggle and think 'Oooh, sounds kinky.'

Yeah. Definitely the fever.

:::

"No. No way."

Raph pushed Donnie down onto the toilet and bent to turn on the shower.

"I am not an invalid, Raph. I can bathe myself."

Glaring over at Donnie, Raph proceeded to ignore him beautifully. Donnie's irritation increased tenfold as Raph began to strip off his pads and bandanna. The younger turtle reached back and tightened the knot of his own mask as if to reassure himself.

"Until you can stand up for more than two minutes without wobblin' like a Weeble, you ain't takin' a shower by yourself."

Donnie yelped in protest when Raph gripped him firmly and hauled him into the tub, pads, bandanna and all. His older brother stripped him effortlessly with one hand, using the other to grip Don's shell to prevent his escape.

When his sopping garments were discarded on the bathmat, Raph spun Donnie around so that the younger teen's back was to him and began to soap him down.

"You refused to take a bath. You said you wanted a shower. You wanna be stubborn? Fine. You get your shower."

It was actually very relaxing, Donnie thought. The steam and spray were warm, and it felt so good to get clean again, really clean. It was almost as if the sickness of the past few weeks was being washed away by the hot water and his brother's gentle hands.

As he stood there, leaning back against said brother, he wondered a bit at the more caring side of Raphael.

It wasn't as if he'd thought Raph didn't care about his family. Everyone knew that as volatile and angry as the red-banded turtle could be, he was a very caring person. He didn't show it in words, so much as actions. A helping hand without being asked, a gift unasked-for. Everything he did said so much about how he felt, it was a wonder he bothered to speak at all.

Donnie wondered what Raphael was trying to say with his actions now.

As the slick hands smoothed over Donnie's plastron, he felt something inside quiver, and before he could stop it, a low moan was wrenched from his throat.

Raphael froze, every muscle tensing. Donnie froze, as well, shocked and ashamed. There could be no mistaking the needy, lustful undertone in that brief utterance.

He was so fucked.

::::::::::

A/N- Huzzah! You can't go wrong with a little steamy-shower-turtle-on-turtle action! What's Raph gonna do now? One can only hope it will involve liberal use of bodywash.

Review, review, review...because I command thee!

Peace! (--)


	4. The End

Watch Over Me

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Chapter Four: The End

:::

by: Akiko, Keeper of Sheep

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It had been a whole week since the shameful 'Shower Incedent' (as it was coming to be known in Donnie's mind). He was confused, hurt, and a little creeped out by the whole thing. Worst of all, Raph had all-but vanished from his life.

Donnie had replayed the moments in his mind again and again. He could still feel those strong hands tracing over his body, could recognize the feelings they evoked, akin to late nights with visions of attractive actresses and pilfered magazines. He could feel the moan building in his chest, and every time he begged himself not to let it out.

He could feel Raphael become still and tense, no doubt as shocked and disgusted as Donnie himself had been.

Raphael had finished rinsing Donnie swiftly, tossing him a towel and grabbing one for himself before escaping the suddenly too-small room. He'd even forgotten to grab his clothes, such as they were.

And now they were playing a very annoying game, wherein Donnie would enter a room to see the tails of Raph's mask fluttering out of it. If ever Donnie managed to catch his ever-unapproachable brother unawares, Raph would do a remarkable impression of Helen Keller and would pretend Donnie wasn't in the room.

If the older teen's behavior injured Donnie, it utterly perplexed their other brothers. Leo would frown at Raphael, and Donnie had a feeling that they had argued about it more than once. Mikey would double his intensity to make up for the awkward silences, acting as a sort of buffer between Donnie and Raph.

Master Splinter seemed to be the only one with any idea of what was happening, and more than once Donnie had caught him watching them with a vaguely amused, mostly exaspirated air. Yes, he certainly knew what was going on.

Donnie wished he would share that tidbit. Soon.

:::

"Donatello."

Splinter was frowning at him from the other side of the table. Donnie bowed his head as he stayed on his knees, wondering what he'd done wrong now. As if pissing Raph off wasn't enough.

"Do not worry, my son. You are not here to be punished."

Which was certainly a relief, but now Donnie was simply confused. Luckily, he'd had a lot of practice with that emotion in the last month or so.

A furry hand rested on his head, and he looked up to see his father smiling down at him patiently.

"It is time you understood something, Donatello," the elderly rat said quietly. He sighed, seeming to wonder where to begin. "For the last few years, I have watched the four of you become strong young men. As you have done so, you have reached a point in your lives where you desire a closeness that you cannot find amongst family."

Oh, no. Please, no. Not The Talk. Anything, anything at all, would be better than getting The Talk. Donnie felt his face grow hot as Splinter continued.

"During this period of growth, I have noticed that you have been experiencing different changes than most young males."

Oh, God. The Gay Talk. Donnie felt a whimper rise in his throat.

"And as I have watched, I have taken a particular interest in the direction of your individual interests. Do you understand to what I refer, my son?"

To whom, he means, Donnie thought, feeling the panic overwhelm him. He means Raph. He knows.

Shame flooded Donatello. Of all the horrible things he had imagined happening, it hadn't been this. Raph beating him senseless, sure. Even Raph never talking to him again. Never once had he thought Splinter might find out. It had been stupid, he knew, to assume that he could keep this new development a secret, but...

Wait...

"Sensei..." Donnie frowned, wondering if he'd misunderstood something. "What do you mean, 'over the last few years'? I haven't been...um..." and how was he supposed to say 'lusting after my brother' to his father? There was just no way.

But Splinter seemed to understand.

"Whether you have noticed it or not, my son, you and Raphael have always shared a closeness that you have not shared with Leonardo or Michaelangelo. And recently, that closeness has developed into a more...mature feeling. Do you understand, Donatello?"

No, he certainly didn't. He'd never thought he and Raph were closer to each other than to Leo or Mikey. If anything, he'd always thought he and Mikey were the closest brothers.

Although...

Memories flitted across Donnie's mind's eye. Visions of Raph jumping between Don and danger, seemingly uncaring of the consequences. The fear he'd always felt in a fight, not for himself, but for the brother he always knew he'd be piecing back together. Raph, gruff and aloof, helping him repair vehicles, taking minor repairs off his hands while sarcastically commenting on his caffeine addiction. And hadn't it always been Donnie who tempered Raph's anger with common sense? Hadn't Raph always been the one Donnie went to with nightmares and secrets?

But if Sensei was right, didn't that mean that these weird feelings were mutual?

Donnie looked up at Splinter, searching for the answer to this most important of questions.

And he understood.

:::

It made sense, when he thought about it.

Donnie gazed up at the ceiling, a little smile playing about his face. Everything had clicked into place when Splinter had said those words. Because it was true. He and Raph had always been closer to each other than to Leo or Mikey. Raph was someone Donnie felt safe with, and Donnie was someone Raph could confide in. They had always had an understanding that they would be there for each other, no matter what.

And every one of Raphael's actions was suddenly translated with brilliant clarity. His fear, his coddling, his brusque insistance that Donnie not so much as breathe without Raph's say-so. The way he'd held Donnie close, reassured him, comforted him. Overbearing and frustrating and wonderfully Raph.

There had been awkwardness at first. Donnie hadn't known how to broach the subject, and Raph's nearly-perfected disappearing act hadn't helped. It had taken three days of tactics and covert planning with his other two brothers to corner the short-tempered turtle. Unfortunately, Raph never liked being cornered.

Voices had been raised. The other occupants of the lair got an earful of Raph's anger and Donnie's mounting irritation. The stubbornness of his older brother wore at Donnie's usually remarkable temper until finally, frustrated and panicked, Donnie had simply shoved Raph against the wall and kissed him.

Miraculously, Raph had shut up.

Later, there had been talking. And more kisses. And more talking. And finally, finally, they had come to a new understanding.

As he thought about it, he turned on his side and curled closer to his...well, what was Raph now? His lover? Donnie blushed a little at the word. Appropriate, but kind of...yeah. Boyfriend? This forced Donnie to smother a giggle. He didn't quite succeed, and the gently snoring turtle beside him stirred.

"Y'okay, Don?"

"Fine, Raph. Just thinking."

He was never going to get used to Raph's sudden and overwhelming need to contantly check on him. He could just envision years and years in the future, with them both on oxygen, wrinkled and wheezing. Raph would be hobbling over with his walker to where Donnie was playing himself at chess. 'Y'okay, Don?' he would rasp.

Yeah. That shouldn't make him feel as warm and fuzzy as it did.

His - hmm...mate?...yeah, that sounded okay...mate - nuzzled his cheek and pressed his face against Don's neck, slipping back into dreamland.

It wasn't long before Donnie followed, wrapped tightly in Raph's arms.

:::

"No, Mikey. I already told you no."

"Leeeeoooooo! You proooomiiiiiiised!"

Donnie dragged his gaze away from his laptop to smirk at his brothers. Leo was doing his best to get to the dojo, which wasn't an easy task with Mikey clinging to his right leg like a squid. Raph, sitting in front of the television, was ignoring the hockey game in favor of watching the squabbling pair with dark amusement.

"I am not baking with you, Mikey. I never, ever promised you I would, and you know it."

Mikey pouted cutely. "You did, too! You said you'd help me with Splinter's birthday!"

The eldest turtle was glancing back at the middle brothers, his gaze pleading. "I know I did, Mikey, but I didn't think that included putting me anywhere near the stove. You know it hates me."

"Well, if you hadn't kicked it-"

"_No_, Mikey. End of discussion."

Wrenching his leg from his brother's grasp, Leo stormed into the dojo and closed the door.

Mikey, pout firmly in place, threw the door open and stomped in after him.

Raph looked over at Don and waggled his eyebrows. "How much you wanna bet Leo's covered in cake batter by the end of the day?"

Grinning back, Don shook his head. "Like I'd make that bet."

His mate turned off the television and stood, stretching slowly (undoubtedly on purpose, Donnie reasoned as he followed the motions in the reflection of his screen) and meandering over to the computer nook.

"You gonna be much longer?"

"Not too much longer," Donnie conceded, knowing that any other answer would be met with disapproval. "Why?"

"Just thinkin' that we'd be savin' Leo a lot of trouble if we confiscate Mikey's icing."

Donnie's fingers hesitated over the keys.

"O'course," Raph continued casually as he made his way to the kitchen, "we wouldn't want it to go to waste, would we?"

Shutting down his computer, Donnie rose and hurried after his mate.

He could think of a few very good uses for chocolate icing, after all.

:::

END

::::::::::

A/N - And so it ends! There will be a Leo/Mikey story coming up. Anyway, that's it for this installment! I hope you enjoyed it, and if not, I would love to hear why so as to improve my writing skills. And if you come at me with lame reasons like "eeeeew!!!!1!! who wants 2 c raph n donni 2gethr ur sik!" I will find you and sic my Rabid Chipmunk Army on you. If you want to flame me, at least be creative. And try to use proper grammar. Please.

Review, review, review! I beg you!

Peace! (--)

Akiko, Keeper of Sheep

Preview for the sequel to 'Watch Over Me':

Try

"If you don't want to hang out with me, you don't have to."

Leo looked over at his little brother, confused. "When did I say I didn't want to hang out with you?"

The blue-eyed turtle rolled said eyes. "You never _say_ anything. It's like hanging out with a brick wall."

Which kind of hurt, Leo thought. He had never been very verbose, but Mikey knew that. What was he expecting, a monologue?

"I didn't think there was anything to say," he murmured, looking out over the deceptively innocent twinkle of city lights again. He felt Mikey shift beside him, heard him sigh.

"No," the despondant response came. "I guess not."

And for some reason, that hurt even more.


End file.
